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(meteorobs) Re: NWM2001Nov 17/18 Leonid rates Florida



DATE:  November 17/18 2001  BEGIN: 704 UT  END: 1101 UT
OBSERVER: Norman McLeod (MCLNO)
LOCATION: Long: 81o 30'  West; Lat: 26o 30' North
City & State:  Lehigh Acres, Florida, USA
Elevation: 6 metres
RECORDING METHOD: Tape Recorder after 1021 UT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
10 minutes of 40 louds, no sky obstructions, no breaks.
Total Leonids:         1020
Total Non-Leonids:     37  
All F-factors 1.00 except the second period.

Period (UT)   LEO    +others           

LM:  7.2
0704-0726  Teff 0.30  20 LEO  1 NTA (North Taurid)    1 Andromedid  4 SPO
(sporadic)

0726-0742  Teff 0.27  F1.33  14 LEO  1 STA (South Taurid)  4 SPO
   40 loudy 0732-0742

LM: 7.3
0742-0746  Teff 0.07  7 LEO  +2 SPO

0746-0751  Teff 0.08  7

0751-0801  Teff 0.17  14

5-minute periods
0801-0806  5  +1 STA (South Taurid)  +1 SPO (sporadic)
0806-0811  10
0811-0816  10
0816-0821  6   +1 TAU (ambiguous N/S Taurid)
0821-0826  7
0826-0831  6  +1 NTA (North Taurid)  +1 SPO (sporadic)   
0831-0836  12
0836-0841  9   +3 SPO (sporadic)
0841-0846  13  +1 SPO (sporadic)
0846-0851  11  +1 NTA (North Taurid)
0851-0856  8
0856-0901  12

0901-0906   7
0906-0911   17

0911-0921 Teff 0.17  31 LEO  +2 SPO (sporadic)

0921-0926  19
0926-0931  33  +1 SPO (sporadic)
0931-0936  24  +3 SPO (sporadic)
0936-0941  27  +1 STA (South Taurid)
0941-0946  42  +1 SPO (sporadic)
0946-0951  34
0951-0956  28
0956-1001  36  +1 SPO (sporadic)
1001-1006  43
1006-1011  42
1011-1016  52
1016-1021  56

1021-1024  Teff 0.05  23 LEO

1-minute periods:

1024-1025    9
1025-1026    12
1026-1027    16  +1 SPO
1027-1028    17
1028-1029    14  +1 SPO
1029-1030    11  +1 SPO
1030-1031    14
1031-1032    12
1032-1033    11
1033-1034    14 
1034-1035     7
1035-1036    13
1036-1037    16
1037-1038    13
1038-1039     6
1039-1040   12
1040-1041    10
1041-1042    5
1042-1043   20
1043-1044    7
1044-1045    6
1045-1046   11
1046-1047     3  +1 SPO

end LM 7.3, no more LM's hereafter

1047-1048     10
1048-1049    8
1049-1050   7
1050-1051   3
1051-1052   6  
1052-1053    9
1053-1054    6

1054-1101  20  (7 minutes)

3 casual Leonids seen before the start, and 6 more after the end.

Report template courtesy of Cathy Hall.

Looks like my initial impression of 20/min at the peak was a bit high.  It
turned out to be about 14/min from 1025 to 1038.  We both noticed a definite
dropoff in the last minutes before dawn interfered.  There was a single
one-minute spike to 20 Leonids at 542 UT, but it was flanked by much lower
minutes of 5 and 7.  The peak ZHR in sky LM7.3 here would be around 900.
Radiant elevation finished at about 75o so I wasn't losing much to that
situation.  Dawn comes in very quickly at this latitude, so I don't attempt
LM's after it starts.  Minute by minute the change is quite noticeable.
>From higher latitudes with more leisurely twilight, doing LM's would be more
worthwhile.

Timing of Leonid peaks has never been ideal at this longitude. 1966 peak was
after sunrise, 2000 predicted peak came half an hour early at already low
elevation, then 2001 predicted peak was half an hour late critically near
dawn.  Next year is cutting it even closer.  Might be well to consider a
westward trip to have another shot at a record, perhaps far western Texas.
Let 2002 go by, and there won't be another chance in my lifetime to see 1000
meteors in a single night.  I don't want to count on any surprises.

So I did get a new one-night record.  I am very happy to have passed 1000.
Top 4 nights of my life are :

2001 Nov 17/18 1057 total meteors
1985 Dec 12/13  628
1979 Dec 13/14  621
1966 Nov 16/17   591

Joan was seeing 8-9 Leonids/minute at the peak, and almost 750f my rates.
That was on the good side for her, usually around 600f mine.  Her
corrected lump total for the night was 765 meteors in just under 4 hours.

Norman


Norman W. McLeod III
Staff Advisor
American Meteor Society

Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod@peganet.com

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